Coal-Free New England 2020

But opponents of the plant say that renewable sources can fill in any need for new power in New England. The auction results show that there is a surplus of potential power supplies that can step in, according to Jerry Elmer, staff attorney with the Conservation Law Foundation. In the ISO-NE zone that includes Rhode…

“Invenergy is putting the cart before the horse by unveiling an unacceptable plan to take public water without first resolving the huge chunks missing from its power plant application,” said CLF attorney Max Greene. “The company’s plan to build enormous, expensive and unnecessary fossil fuel infrastructure flies in the face of state policy and public will, yet they continue to go forward with new plans that raise more questions than answers. It’s time for the State to recognize these repeated and glaring deficiencies and shut down this project once and for all.”

“Every second, thousands of natural gas leaks, invisible to the naked eye, are polluting the air and endangering the health of communities throughout Massachusetts,” said CLF advocate Megan Herzog. “And to add insult to injury, the cost of that lost gas is passed on to consumers, with businesses and families footing the bill for leaky infrastructure. By prioritizing repairs on already-opened roads and promoting greater information transparency, this ordinance takes a meaningful step toward ensuring we can address the serious problem of gas leaks in a safe, logical, and economically beneficial way.”

… David Ismay, an attorney with the Conservation Law Foundation, said the group could end up filing lawsuits if the EPA does not enforce existing laws such as the Clean Water Act. “If it’s the case the EPA is being shut down or slowed down, you could see us jumping into the breach,” Ismay said.…

Transforming New England’s Energy System New England’s coal-fired power plants were at their peak when CLF opened its doors 50 years ago. The majority of the region’s coal fleet came online in the post-war boom years of the1950s and 1960s and they would go on to dominate our region’s electricity mix for decades. Today, however,…

“President-elect Trump’s intention to nominate climate denier and leading clean energy opponent Scott Pruitt to lead EPA mocks the states, businesses, and innovators who have led the transition away from fossil fuel dependency, and mocks the many leaders in his own party who understand the perils and opportunities climate change presents,” said CLF President Bradley Campbell. “But we’ve had to take on EPA before, and today’s announcement only strengthens our resolve to protect the health and safety of New Englanders. We stand ready to vigorously defend and enforce critical protections and safeguards like the Clean Water Act from any attempt to turn back the clock on environmental protection.”

The Conservation Law Foundation is asking the Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission to reconsider its decision not to reject a consumer tax that would help pay for natural gas pipeline expansions in the region. The PUC denied CLF’s request in September. The project was billed as a regional solution to rising electricity costs. But since…

“With yet another state abandoning proposals for more natural gas pipeline capacity, these efforts to expand fossil fuel infrastructure in New England have hit a virtually unsurpassable roadblock,” said CLF president Bradley Campbell. “Without Massachusetts, New Hampshire or Connecticut in the mix, Spectra has lost a whopping 84 percent of the customer base needed to finance this ill-conceived proposal. It’s time to kill this project altogether and look forward to opportunities for the clean, renewable alternatives that our families demand, our markets expect and our laws require.”

“Invenergy’s proposal to build a costly plant that will burn dangerous fossil fuels continues to hit one road block after another, and for good reason: the facts are stacked against them,” said CLF senior attorney Jerry Elmer. “The legal deadline for Invenergy to submit a complete application has long passed, yet crucial elements concerning the plant’s ecological and environmental impacts remain missing. Merely suspending the docket at this point falls one step short – it’s time for the Board to close the docket once and for all.”

“One report after another continues to conclude that building more natural gas infrastructure is a bad deal for our economy and our environment, and doing so on the backs of hardworking businesses and families just adds insult to injury,” said Tom Irwin, Director of CLF New Hampshire. “Today, the PUC recognized the irresponsibility and illegality of such a scheme by plainly rejecting this proposal. This important decision is another nail in the coffin for a risky pipeline that we don’t need, we don’t want, and we can’t afford.”